Pelican Lake Fishing in Municipal District of Opportunity No. 17, Alberta

• Overview

  Look for Pelican Lake in the Municipal District of Opportunity No. 17 part of Alberta. Country round the bank runs to spruce and muskeg. Around 28.20 sq km of open water: conditions change from one end to the other. The bank runs about 40 km in total, split between open shore and sheltered corners. The closest town, Wabasca-Desmarais, is 41 km away. Slave Lake lies 111 km off, Athabasca another 121 km. No border sits close enough to matter.

• Where to Fish on Pelican Lake

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. County-wide records name yellow perch, cisco, walleye and Arctic grayling. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. Pelican Lake fishes better once you know its edges.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from -18°C in January up to 16°C in July. This far north the hard season runs and runs. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from late April. Ice clears near late April and comes back about mid November in a typical year. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. That shapes the year on Pelican Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. There is no mapped parking or launch close by, which usually means walking in. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Should this one be busy, Sandy Lake is 8.5 km off. For Pelican Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.